Submitting a Graphic for your Custom Beer Tap Handle:

You can create the ultimate custom beer tap handle with your own design!  We can use your graphic to make a high-end Engraved Tap Handle, or, if you have selected a graphic that isn't compatible with our engraving method, we can use just about any graphic, full-color, on a Label Tap or Hybrid Engraved/Labeled Tap Handle.

YOU MAY E-MAIL US YOUR CUSTOM GRAPHIC AT ANY TIME, EVEN IF IT DOESN'T FIT THE REQUIREMENTS; we'll give it our best shot and you a free quote, and give you suggestions on how to make it work on a custom beer tap handle.

Understanding how we make our engraved tap handles will help you design a graphic that will bring out the best characteristics of the method, while minimizing the features of the graphic that cause less-than-ideal results on the handle.  We use a computer-controlled machine to deeply engrave the text and design into the tap handle's wood, but before we can do that, the design and text must be set up in the computer.  We have to convert graphics into black and white before passing it to the equipment; black makes an engraved mark, white leaves an area unengraved (and therefore, the base color of the tap handle, whether it is clear-finished oak, or a painted color).  Designing a graphic specifically for our engraving process is like programming, where you have complete control of the outcome by following a few guidelines.

Preparing a New Graphic for Engraving:

1. Make a black and white illustration.  Black = Engraved mark, White = Unengraved mark.  Engraved marks on the handle will be filled in with paint colors, by hand, with little brushes, so your illustration will end up being full color even though the setup is black and white.
2. Leave some white space between areas of engraving, about 2 pt. wide (1.5mm).  We need the help filling in the paint colors, and you need the sharp results that result from clean design like this.
3. Keep it simple (think of classic logos with bold, simple lines, or the clean look of a pen-and-ink illustration)
4. Make it high-resolution, 300-500 dpi for a 3.5 inch square space, or make it a vector graphic (if you're not a graphic designer, don't worry about the term "vector")
5. If possible, use a layered file that keeps the text separate from the graphic.  We usually end up needing to tweak the text or retype it, and having it on a different layer keeps the cost of altering it down significantly.  Alternatively, you could just tell us what text to add, text setup is included in all of our custom tap handle prices.

Engraving is a physical process, wood, a natural product, is not as uniform as it appears, a tap handle is really quite a small target, and little paint brushes are hard to control.  These facts also need to be factored in to setting up a design for engraving success.  Don't cram too much visual information in too small a space; simplicity of design, like a good logo or a very crisp line drawing, is best.  For instance, if you want a sharp engraving on our handle, there needs to be some space between engraved areas.  Too little space results in a large engraved blob, rather than a collection of clearly-engraved areas awaiting different paint colors.  The illustration and engraved tap handle at the top of this page illustrate clearly what this spacing looks like.  Note how every color is separated by a fine white line (about 1.5 to 2 pt. in width, or about 1.5 mm).  If the graphic hadn't been set up that way, we would have engraved the whole star and "48" together as a star-shaped mark, then we'd have painted in a sloppy, undefined "48" on top of the blue star background.  Instead, we've got a clear area that is gold for the "48" and a clear area that is blue for the star.  This looks even better on the actual tap (rather than the photo), as these white borders around the different components are higher than the engraved components, so the texture of the engraving is being used to sharpen the result as well as guide our brushes to accuracy.

Sharpness is of key importance in tap handle design.  These are little signs with information to convey as they sit atop your kegerator or bar, and a mancave is best dimly-lit.  That means that the important elements on your tap handle need even more help to stand out clearly and legibly, so they can be seen and understood in poor lighting a couple feet away from the handle.  Text is the least forgiving; we easily see flaws in the smoothness and sharpness of text, more so than most non-geometrical graphics, so we must be able to engrave the text of your handle without it being impeded by graphics bumping up against it and running over it.  Text is also an easy item for us to adjust, it just takes a couple clicks to put a white border up around it and we've isolated the text from the background.  Submitting a low-resolution graphic that includes text is guaranteeing a bad engraving, as the text will definitely show the flaws and fuzziness.  Either send the graphic separate from the text and let us type in the text and arrange it, or send us a vector illustration with the text and graphic in different layers, and we'll be able to make it ready for a great engraving (we hope!).  It's also important to send us a sharp, high-resolution graphic, or a vector graphic, to get the best results.  Quality must start with the graphic you send us if we are to produce a result that will also be quality.

Submitting Any Graphic for Engraving:

1. We can accept most file types, including .bmp, .jpg, .gif, .psd, .cdr, .ai, .eps, .svg, and .pdf.  We'll let you know if we need help opening what you send us.
2. Your graphics should be in the original digital format, if possible, rather than shrunken down to a lower resolution for the web, and they should keep their layers, if they have them, rather than be converted to a flat file.  Send the best version of your graphic, in other words, whatever it is.  We can accept large files.
3. If you are sending us a flat file (raster file, .bmp or .jpg for instance) rather than a vector file (.svg, .ai, .cdr, .eps, sometimes .pdf; they are files that graphic designers typically use) please make sure it is high resolution.  That means 300 - 500 dpi for a size of 3.5 inches square.
4. We will work with what you give us; most of our customers aren't able to make a graphic file like we need so we've learned how to take a less-than-ideal graphic and tweak it to work.  Just send us the best of what you have, and we'll evaluate it and give you a quote, and possibly a mockup.  We can convert color to black and white, we can remove backgrounds and delete features, we can trim up a fuzzy graphic and make it sharper, we can crop, rotate, and add text.  The more we are required to do to the graphic before we can use it for engraving, the more expensive the resulting handle will be.  If you give us a sharp, crisp, clear black and white illustration, the handle will probably cost $125, if you give us a high-resolution graphic that needs colors converted to black and white, and needs some buffer borders added in and other little adjustments made to make it a good engraving candidate, it's likely to be $140, whereas you send us a low-resolution full-color flat file, or anything highly-complex and color, we'll need to charge $165 for the completed handle if we're even able to use the graphic.
5. Rather than pay us to fiddle your graphic, you might want to hire a professional graphic designer.  We'll be happy to work with them while they create the perfect illustration for you, then show you the final mockup when we're ready to make your tapper.

Where to Find a Graphic:

1. You might have to buy it.  Most graphics that people send us are "borrowed" from random places online.  Without permission from the owner or rights-holder of the graphic, reproducing this "borrowed" graphic is deemed illegal in US copyright and trademark laws.

2. You don't have permission to use that logo.  If there is a brand, team, or university that is worthy of engraving or labeling on a beer tap, guaranteed, they will not give permission for use (unless you know someone who works there and can get you special permission).  Without lawful permission to copy a logo or a trademarked name, we won't do it; we respect the law and the rights of both artists and businesses.  Let this be an opportunity to be more creative, and you might end up designing a tap handle that reflects your friend's unique personality rather than their love of a popular team.  The people you give this handle to will appreciate the extra work and thought that went into designing it just for them.

3. Sometimes, the graphic is in the public domain, and therefore free to use without permission.  Just because you found it in Google does not make it public domain, but you can certainly find some great graphics if you look in the right places.

4. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page is an excellent public domain graphics site.  If you find a graphic in .svg format (a vector format), we have a good chance of being able to use it for your tap handle, even if it is in color instead of black and white.  Other graphics might work too, especially black and white illustrations; send us a link to what you like.  Any graphic, even photographs, can be used on a label; it's choosing the engraving method that creates the need for a special kind of graphic.

5. http://www.istockphoto.com serves very crisp, clear, and professional quality illustrations that are available for one-off use.  You pay a small fee (under $20 usually) to buy use rights to a graphic, and we can then engrave it on a custom tap handle for you, or create a label with it on our label and hybrid label/engraved tappers.  Before you make a purchase, send us the links to the graphics you like so we can help you choose the graphic that will give the best results for your custom tap handle.

6. http://www.clipart.com is another source that our customers use to find cheap (usually under $20) graphics.   Send us links to the graphics you like and we'll advise you on the best choice before you purchase.

7. Find a graphic online that is owned by a graphic designer or artist, and contact them to purchase one-time use of it on the handle we make for you.  We are a small business, and most of them are too; support twice as many small businesses by sharing the work!

8. Hire a graphic designer and have them draw your idea from scratch.  We don't do this kind of work; we must have a graphic to work with, rather than an idea for a graphic.  A professional graphic designer, however, will be able to "whip up" a design from thin air that's just right, if you give them a clear idea of what you want, and compensate them for their work time.

Submitting Any Graphic for a Label:

Any graphic you find in the public domain, own, have permission to use, or have paid for permission to use can be put on a label and used with our Label Custom Tap Handles or our Hybrid Engraved/Labeled Custom Tap Handles.  These are the same handles we use to engrave on, but we instead apply a label to them with your graphic and text, or put a label on them with a graphic, and then engrave your custom text around it.  This means we can use a photograph, perfect for your dog, cat, or a silly picture of your friend!  Send us the best version of the graphic that you have, in the highest resolution that it naturally comes in (don't artificially inflate it for us, as it doesn't increase the quality, just makes it bigger).  If you like the quality of the graphic when you print it on your home printer, you'll be happy with the quality of it on our professional label.  We will be able to add text to the graphic and arrange it decoratively (like, curved above the graphic, below it, and in appropriate fonts).  Most likely, we'll center in on the feature of the photograph or graphic that you want, and "clip" it with an oval, round, or square shape to create the label, which does a good job of excluding the extra part of the graphic that you didn't want.  However, for $35, you can pay us to remove the background precisely, leaving just the subject that you want in the photograph or illustration.  There is no better way to get a great label from us than by giving us a high resolution graphic/photo to use; quality begins with what you provide.

Photograph Engraving:

Occasionally, we can turn a photograph into an engraving.  We have a program that helps with that, turning an image into a series of dots, somewhat like half-toning.  Setting up a photograph or a graphic that is like a photograph (because it uses a lot of shading or blended colors) for engraving (not labeling, that's easy) always takes an extra hour or two more than any other work we do.  That means that the handle we make for you with an engraved photograph will start at the top of the price scale ($165 instead of $115).  It's awesome when it works, but can be disappointing without a really contrasted image to work with.  Dogs in profile, or with contrasted markings and clearly-defined eyes/nose/ears, tend to engrave well, as do really good photographs of people's faces.  Photographs that are more like silhouettes also can work; if it is dark and shadowy and we remove the extra background, you basically get a silhouette, which makes a good engraved mark.  Send us what you have, and we'll let you know if it is likely that you'll get a good result.